Public Charging Etiquette - Unplugging Teslas from J1772s

[liuping]

I'm not sure you understand the concept of not using a limited resource when you don't need it so that others who do need it can use it.

I'm using the resource, provide by the owners, for the purpose they intended, which is to draw me in as a customer, not for your personal use.

It is only limited because it's free. Your need is no greater than anyone else's for a free charge. If you really need a charge, use a paid EVSE. That is what they are for.

 

[BerTX]

I'm using the resource, provide by the owners, for the purpose they intended, which is to draw me in as a customer, not for your personal use.

It is only limited because it's free. Your need is no greater than anyone else's for a free charge. If you really need a charge, use a paid EVSE. That is what they are for.

I agree wit this, except there might be the rare case where the free charge is the only one they can reach. Unless it was a case of overextending their range to reach the charger because it was free, then they were stuck and unable to charge and unable to reach a pay site -- no sympathy there from me.

 

[JS__]

It seems like the issue is really between the Tesla driver and Tesla NA. If Tesla doesn't care to provide this information why should you care if you are unplugged?

It seems like this is an issue between YOU and Tesla NA. It doesn't seem to be affecting the Tesla driver. It only seems to be affecting you...

 

[BerTX]

It seems like this is an issue between YOU and Tesla NA. It doesn't seem to be affecting the Tesla driver. It only seems to be affecting you...

I would like to have the option to have the car blink when it is charging, too. I have little doubt that the time I was unplugged was because the PHEV driver thought I was just sitting there plugged in and not charging.

 

[Big Dog]

I'm not sure you understand the concept of not using a limited resource when you don't need it so that others who do need it can use it.

I would think that private property owners can establish their own rules. For example, at South Coast Plaza in SoCal, the juice is free, but they have a 2-hour limit. First-come, first-served. "need" -- however defined -- is not a requirement.

PlugShare - Find Electric Vehicle Charging Locations Near You

 

[kingjamez]

I would think that private property owners can establish their own rules. For example, at South Coast Plaza in SoCal, the juice is free, but they have a 2-hour limit. First-come, first-served. "need" -- however defined -- is not a requirement.

PlugShare - Find Electric Vehicle Charging Locations Near You

Agreed. I've charged at free J1772 and paid J1772 across the country and I've always read the rules for the chargers.

Some say for patrons only.
Some say only for X number of hours, then fees apply.
Some say totally free.
Some are always pay (these are fortunately almost always open).

When I go to whole foods, I plug in. Whole foods puts it there to attract me to shop there. It works.

When I go to Holiday Inn Express, I plug in. Holiday Inn Express put it there to attract me to stay there overnight. It works.

When I charge at work the description is "These are meant as a benefit to our employees, please move your car when you have finished charging". I get irate when a local Model X parks there and doesn't plug in.

Never, have I ever read "priority given to cars with small batteries", "don't charge if don't need it", "reserved for glorified Radio Flyer electric cars"... etc.

Not once.

You can make up all the rules you want. That doesn't make them valid.

-Jim

 

[bhzmark]

I read the rules on the chargers . . . I have never read . . . . "don't charge if don't need it",

Where it isnt rule, that is where the etiquette part comes in.

Perhaps you chew with your mouth open too if a restaurant doesn't have a rule against it?

 

[twonius]

Taking a step back here. the big issue seems to be more that public EV infrastructure roll out is pretty slow and seems unlikely to keep up with new EV roll outs, especially when the hockey stick really starts kicking in around 2020.I haven't even seen a single charger built by Electrify America (VW dieselgate fund) yet.

We shouldn't have to beg or borrow for paid charger time. The whole situation is like gas lines during a natural disaster.

We really need to start talking to our employers about getting plugs put in. I've been making some noise about this with our building management company They seemed totally oblivious to the issue and really weren't willing to do anything unless they could get them all for free from the Utility. Good thing we're moving to a new office building with chargers in 6 months.

Utilities, even in CA have been really dropping the ball here as well. You'd think they would want to sell more electrons.

 

[liuping]

Where it isnt rule, that is where the etiquette part comes in.

Perhaps you chew with your mouth open too if a restaurant doesn't have a rule against it?

Is the restaurant providing free food specifically to encourage people to chew with the mouth open? If they are and you take the free food, I think you should follow their rules.

 

[JayyyDeee]

You shouldn't take up a limited public resource, like chargers, when you don't need it and others do.

Selfish small minds cannot grasp the sense in such a simple point.

And why would anyone need it anymore than I do?... should I stop using public bathrooms because I have a toilet at home or because I am fairly young and have a strong bladder?

Please continue grasping at straws I find it hilarious...cant wait for your reply

 

[Big Dog]

I'm not sure you understand the concept of not using a limited resource when you don't need it so that others who do need it can use it.

And who gets to be philosopher-king that gets to decide "need'?

 

[bhzmark]

And who gets to be philosopher-king that gets to decide "need'?

You have to use your judgement on your own and decide if you really truly need it at the expense of possibly excluding somebody else.

if you really do need it then use it. If you dont, then dont.

And why would anyone need it anymore than I do?... should I stop using public bathrooms because I have a toilet at home or because I am fairly young and have a strong bladder?

Please continue grasping at straws I find it hilarious...cant wait for your reply

Very happy to respond. Hopefully using an example where you will finally wrap your head around it.

Are you going to sit on the one single stall reading the newspaper when you don't really need to use the toilet, when somebody else may come by and really have a genuine desperate need, but you are sitting there reading the sports section denying them access to a limited resource that they really need?

Is the restaurant providing free food specifically to encourage people to chew with the mouth open? If they are and you take the free food, I think you should follow their rules.

And demonstrating an inability to understand the concept of limited resource.

 

[BerTX]

Okay, enough. Both sides of this issue are are somewhat right and somewhat wrong. You are arguing, trying to have the other be wrong, and you are each a bit wrong.

Everybody involved needs to be more aware of the possible needs of the other. Chill out and move on.

 

[trm2]

should I stop using public bathrooms because I have a toilet at home or because I am fairly young and have a strong bladder?

Depends.

 

[bhzmark]

Looks like the non-sharers win..

Plugshare.com is changing its name to plugFUIwasherefirst.com

 

[swaltner]

Well, if there was an option that said something like "Only if the EVSE shows that the Tesla is not actively charging", I suspect that would have been the winner. As in political polls, how the question is phrased has a huge impact on the outcome.

Last week, I disconnected a Volt from a public EVSE hosted by the local electricity provider. This was the first time I had ever disconnected a vehicle from one of the EVSEs around town. I rarely charge outside of my own garage and even more rarely see other EVs parked at the handful of EVSEs around town. I didn't disconnect the Volt because "it was a plug-in hybrid and could make it home on gas", but rather the status on the front panel of the EVSE was showing "Connected - Not Charging", so the Volt was fully charged.

 

[iffatall]

In my opinion, the only person who can decide whether a drivers needs to charge is the driver themselves. No one else has to right to judge their need whatever be the case - local, traveling, shopping, big battery, small battery, 50% soc, 90% soc - doesn't matter. If you believe someone is judging their need incorrectly, you may try to educate them F2F or via a note, but you cannot demand they move out of your way. When someone gives way to someone else to charge because they think the other person is in more urgent need, it is courtesy. Courtesy should only be extended, never demanded.

Also, I agree with others that no one has the right to unplug someone's car, no matter what the charging state (even if it is 100%) - unless they have explicit permission to do so. I always leave a note when on trips charging on L2, that says "OK to unplug after xx". I learned this on my very first road trip as a new Tesla owner when I found someone else do it at Yosemite.

 

[derekmw]

I don't see why anyone would care that they were unplugged (if the cord reaches another car) after it's finished charging (which typically can be confirmed via the charging station - even if the car doesn't indicate it). Why would you care if your car is completed? I have no problem with someone unplugging me once it's finished charging.

This is the rule we follow at my work where we have 4 charging stations shared by 18 employees. We strive to move it RIGHT when it finishes charging. However, with meetings/etc, we don't make it down immediately and if the cord can reach someone else, anyone else can just unplug that car and plug themselves in.

We also have a general guideline/rule that you can only occupy a spot for 4 hours max and that you are supposed to move your car if it finishes charging (even if under the 4 hour period). With this in place, we have been able to get all 18 employees to charge each day, sharing these 4 charging stations. It helps that I am the only Tesla owner and the others have much smaller charging needs such as Prius plug-in, Volts, etc.

What I find unacceptable, as some have mentioned, are those who use it as a parking spot. I've gone to the mall and seen EV's parked in a charging spot, simply because it's closer to the mall...and they are not even plugged in. Or they pretend to charge by plugging in but never actually activating the machine (they don't want to get charged). This is selfish in my opinion.

 

[scaesare]

Looks like the non-sharers win..

In my opinion it's the refusal to recognize that's not the stance of people arguing here that is a significant factor in the disagreement in this thread.

 

[bhzmark]

Their stance, so far as I can discern a coherent argument, is, "I was here first and that is more important than my need compared to the needs of others. Even if i don't need the charge and my use of a limited resource means others cant use it when they do truly need it, i dont care. "

That argument is selfish. It would be better to have a culture of sharing where the potential needs of others inform our own actions. Selfish people don't do that.

In my opinion it's the refusal to recognize that's not the stance of people arguing here that is a significant factor in the disagreement in this thread.